Starting next year, the UK luxury department store chain will only sell leather derived from agricultural livestock, joining a growing number of retailers and brands that have banned crocodile, python and other exotic skins. The British department store chain said that in February 2020 it will ban products like watches, luggage and handbags that are made from python, alligator, crocodile, lizard or other exotic animal skins. As of next year, its stores will only sell leather derived from agricultural livestock. The luxury department store chain is the latest big fashion player to move away from exotic skins, responding to a long-standing campaign by animal rights activists who claim abuse of animals in the industry is rampant and that many skins are sourced illegally, endangering wild populations.

Selfridges has had a fur ban in place for more than a decade and said its latest move is "a continuation of a longstanding commitment" to ethics. It's one of a number of high-end retailers that are catering to consumer demands for more ethical products by increasingly emphasising environmentally and socially conscious brands.

Elsewhere, Selfridges has made a commitment to ensure 50 percent of its products are better for people and the planet by 2022. It removed all single-use plastic water bottles from sale in 2015 and all single-use carbonated drinks bottles last year.